Method of making a coated airbag

ABSTRACT

Coating compositions, which are used as a monolithic coating layer for airbags. The coating compositions include a combination of urethanes which are blended together. At least one of the urethane components provides gas-retaining properties and the other provides the aging stability. The gas-retaining urethane may be characterized as having high tensile strength at break, high elongation at break, and a 100% modulus less than 1,200 psi. The aging stability urethane has a polycarbonate backbone as result of a manufacturing process in which a polycarbonate diol is reacted with an isocyanate. The resulting coating compositions, when applied as a single layer to an airbag fabric, result in an airbag with good gas retention and aging stability.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/388,934, filed on Feb. 19, 2009, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the use of a monolithic coating forairbag fabrics. The flame retardant coating composition imparts desiredproperties to the airbag, such as gas retention, flame retardance, andaging stability which are comparable to properties achieved in the pastusing multiple coating layers. The coating composition incorporates ablend of at least two different urethanes. The first urethane in theblend functions as a gas-retaining urethane compound. The secondurethane is a softer 100% polycarbonate polyurethane which functions asan aging stability urethane compound. The primary advantage of thepresent coating composition is that, even when used as a single layer,it achieves the desired properties of a two layer coating system.

BACKGROUND

Historically, airbags have been coated with one or more layers ofpolymeric material to enhance their performance, for example, bypreventing the unwanted permeation of air through the fabric and, to alesser extent, by protecting the fabric from detriment due to exposureto hot gases used to inflate the airbags. Polychloroprene was thepolymer of choice in the early development of coated airbags.Subsequently, polychloroprene was almost universally replaced bysilicone-based materials.

Newer designs for airbags, particularly those being placed in the sidesof passenger compartments, have introduced the requirement that the bagshold pressure longer under use. The requirement of longer air retentiontimes and the use of lower coating levels of silicone polymer havehighlighted the effect that a naturally lubricating silicone coating mayallow the yarns in the airbag fabric to shift when a sewn seam isstressed. This shifting may lead to leakage of the inflating gas throughpores formed from the shifting yarns.

In the past, extended pressure retention times have been achieved byapplying a first layer of gas-retaining polymer (such as asilicone-containing polymer) to the fabric surface and then applying asecond, protective layer over the first layer. The second, protectivelayer prevents the airbag coating from sticking to itself when foldedand stored (a condition known as “blocking”) and also protects thefirst, gas-retaining layer from damage due to aging, abrasion, and thelike. In most situations, the second layer also helps to minimize theburn rate of the airbag to satisfy burn test requirements as mandated byFederal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 302.

Various coating systems have been advocated combining silicone withdifferent polymers in the same polymer network. By way of example, suchsilicone-based coating systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,348,543; 6,468,929; 6,545,092; 6,846,004; and U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2005-0100692 all to Parker and all of which are herebyincorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

Various multi-layered coating systems have also been advocated. In thisregard, exemplary multi-layer systems are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,239,046; 6,641,686; 6,734,123; and 6,770,578 all to Veiga and6,177,365 and 6,177,366 to Li all of which are hereby incorporated byreference as if fully set forth herein.

Airbag manufacturers have used these and other solutions to address themultiple problems associated with forming a suitable coatingcomposition. Specifically, the airbag coating is required to provide thenecessary gas retention properties to the airbag. It is also desirablethat the coating impart flame retardance to the airbag. In this regard,flame retardance has typically been achieved by incorporating flameretardant additives into the top layer(s) of a multi-layered coating,since the incorporation of flame retardant additives into thefabric-contacting layer may impair gas retention. Another desirablecharacteristic is the avoidance of so called “blocking” in which thecoating compositions tend to stick to themselves when the bags arefolded and stored over long periods of time. Finally, another desirablefeature is the need for the airbag coating to be stable to aging,meaning that the coating will not degrade over time and in extremeconditions of heat and/or humidity.

As best understood, single coating layers have been generally deficientin meeting these various problems. Thus, the use of multi-layeredcoatings has gained relatively broad acceptance. The urethane-basedcoating composition of the present disclosure may be used as amonolithic coating layer for airbags with performance characteristicscomparable to those of the prior multi-layered coatings. Accordingly,the disclosure provides a useful advancement over the prior art.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure offers advantages and alternatives over the knownart by providing coating compositions which may be used as a monolithiccoating layer for airbags. Preferably, these coating compositionsinclude at least two distinct urethane constituents which are blendedtogether. At least one of the urethane constituents is a hybrid ofpolycarbonate and at least another polyol such as polyether thatprovides gas-retaining properties. Another urethane constituent is a100% polycarbonate based polyurethane that provides aging stability. Thegas-retaining urethane may be characterized as having high tensilestrength at break, high elongation at break, and a 100% modulus in therange of about 800 to about 1,200 PSI. The resulting coating composition(that is, the blend), results in a product that has a higher temperaturesoftening point and at the same time results in a polymer with 100%modulus less than about 1000 PSI. When applied as a single layer to anairbag fabric, the coating results in an airbag with good gas retentionand aging stability. Flame retardancy may be incorporated through anadditive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph showing the leak-down rates over time of airbagscoated with the present coating composition in comparison to the twolayer coating system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Urethane Production

In accordance with an exemplary and potentially preferred practice, twodifferent urethane constituents are blended together, preferably in anaqueous dispersion, to produce the present coating composition.

The first urethane is engineered to produce excellent gas-retainingproperties and, as such, will be referred to herein as the“gas-retaining urethane.” The gas-retaining urethane is characterized ashaving high tensile strength at break (for instance, at least 2,500PSI), high elongation at break (for instance, at least 300%), and a 100%modulus of less than about 1200 PSI and more preferably about 800 toabout 1200 PSI as measured according to ASTM D882 standards testingtechnique. By way of example only, one exemplary gas retaining urethanethat provides such properties is a hybrid polyurethane formed by using acombination of a polycarbonate and polyether polyol at a 80:20 ratio.

The second urethane is engineered to provide excellent resistance toaging and, as such, will be referred to herein as the “aging stabilityurethane.” In the exemplary practice, the second urethane is synthesizedusing a 100% polycarbonate polyol and is characterized by a 100%polycarbonate polymer backbone. The aging stability urethane used inthis application is characterized as having a 100% modulus less thanabout 800 PSI; more preferably, in the range of about 400 PSI to about800 PSI; and, most preferably, about 400 to about 675 PSI. In otherwords, the resultant polycarbonate polyurethane is softer than thehybrid gas retaining urethane.

The ratio of gas-retaining polyurethane to aging stability polyurethaneis preferably in the range of about 80/20 to about 50/50, by weight. Inone embodiment, the ratio of gas-retaining polyurethane to agingstability polyurethane is about 63/37. In another potentially preferredembodiment, the ratio of gas-retaining polyurethane to aging stabilitypolyurethane is 60/40. These ratios—each of which includes at least 50%of the gas-retaining polyurethane—provide coating formulations whichexhibit a good balance of gas retention and aging stabilitycharacteristics.

To produce the desired polyurethanes mentioned above, startingmaterials, molar ratios and reaction conditions are selected forproduction of each of the urethane constituents. The starting materialstypically include one or more polyols, isocyanate, and chain extenders.The molar ratio of polyol compound(s) to isocyanate compound ispreferably on the order of 0.5:1 to 0.98:1.

Preferred polyols for producing a polyurethane include polycarbonatepolyols, polyether polyols, silicon-based diols, olefin-based diols,polyester diols, and combinations thereof, the structures thereof beingshown below as (I) through (VI). One or more polycarbonate polyols maybe used to produce the ageing stability polyurethane constituent for usein the coating composition of the present invention. A single polyol maybe used for the gas-retaining polyurethane, although two or more polyolsmay be used instead. By way of example only, and without limitation,blends of polycarbonate polyol and polyether polyol (e.g., in ratios offrom about 80/20 to about 50/50, respectively) may be used to produce asuitable gas-retaining polyurethane compound for use as a constituent inthe coating composition of the present invention.

Polycarbonate polyols include compounds having a structure according tostructures (I) and (II) below:

Where R and R₁ are selected from the group consisting of aliphaticradicals and aromatic radicals, where R₂ is selected from the groupconsisting of aliphatic hydrocarbon groups having between 4 to 10 carbonatoms and alicyclic hydrocarbon groups having between 4 to 10 carbonatoms, and n is an integer between 2 and 20. In one embodiment, R is(C₂)₆, resulting in a polycarbonate polyol with an average molecularweight (M_(n)) of about 2,000.

Exemplary polyether polyols include compounds having a structureaccording to structure (III) below:

where n is an integer between 5 and 68. One representative polyetherpolyol is polypropylene glycol, having a molecular weight (M_(n))between 400 and 4,000. Also included in this class of polyols areolefin-based diols, which include compounds having a polyethylene, apolypropylene, or a polyolefin copolymer, where the copolymer has ahydroxyl group in a terminal and/or side chain position.

Exemplary silicon-based diols include compounds having a chemicalstructure according to structure (IV) below:HO—R₁-[—OSiR₂R₃-]—R₄—OH  (IV)where R₁ and R₄ are independently selected from the group consisting ofaromatic and aliphatic radicals and where R₂ and R₃ are independentlyselected from the group consisting of methyl radicals, hydroxylradicals, phenyl radicals, and hydrogen.

Exemplary polyester-based diols include the two compounds whose chemicalstructures (V) and (VI) are shown below:

where R is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbongroups having between 2 and 10 carbon atoms and alicyclic hydrocarbongroups having between 2 and 10 carbon groups and where n is an integerchosen to provide a M_(n), for the polyol of between about 1,000 andabout 2,400.

Due to their color stability and heat stability, aliphatic isocyanatesmay be preferred for reaction with the polyols described above. Suitablealiphatic isocyanates include, but are not limited to, 1,6-hexamethylenediisocyanate (HDI), isophorane diisocyanate (IPDI), hydrogenatedmethylenediphenyl diisocyanate (HMDI), andα,α,α′,α′-tetramethyl-m-xylene diisocyanate (m-TMXDI).

In some circumstances, it may be desirable to use a catalyst to promotethe reaction between the polymer diol and the isocyanate compound.Suitable catalysts include tertiary amines, organic tin compounds, andother catalysts known for this purpose.

Typically, water-based polyurethane dispersions are produced using atwo-stage synthesis. The first stage involves the manufacture of amoderately low molecular weight, hydrophobic polyurethane oligomerhaving terminal isocyanate groups. This moderately low molecular weightoligomer is the reaction product of a multifunctional (usuallydifunctional) isocyanate with polyhydroxy compounds to produce an NH—COOurethane linkage. Such a reaction is shown below, where the polyol andthe isocyanate are represented with generic structures. For water-basedsyntheses, at least one of the polyhydroxy compounds is ionic in nature,typically a dihydroxy organic acid, such as dimethylolpropionic acid(DMPA).

A representative reaction is shown below.

A wide variety of polyhydroxy compounds available for this synthesisreaction leads to the versatility of the polyurethane polymer.

Due to the selective reactivity of the polyisocyanate, the acidfunctionality of the dihydroxy organic acid compound is extremelyslow-reacting, as compared to primary or even secondary hydroxyl groups.This reactivity difference allows the reaction of the hydroxyl groupsfrom the polyols—including the hydroxyl groups from dihydroxy organicacid—with excess polyisocyanate to yield the isocyanate-terminatedpolyurethane oligomer, shown above, which has a determinable amount ofionic functionality built within the oligomer backbone. As shown above,the ionic functionality is due to the presence of carboxylic acidgroups. It should also be understood that compounds having sulfuric acidgroups (SO₃H), in place of the carboxylic acid groups, may instead beused.

By combining one of a large array of polyhydroxy compounds and one ofseveral choices of polyisocyanate compounds, there is the ability totailor design performance characteristics to meet specific, requiredparameters, which may range from extremely low modulus with surface tackto low modulus with high tensile strength and elongation to high moduluswith high tensile to extremely low elongation and brittleness. In thecase of airbag coatings, it is desirable to provide a coating withrelatively high tensile strength, high elongation, and low tack.

The isocyanate-terminated polyurethane oligomer, shown above, istypically quite viscous. As a result, a dispersion solvent is needed todilute the oligomer. Most often, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) is used forthis purpose.

The second stage of the production of the desired polyurethane compoundsinvolves complexing the ionic functionality, which is present in thehydrophobic (oil-based) oligomer, to create a water-dispersible(hydrophilic) urethane prepolymer. The hydrophilic urethane prepolymermay then be dispersed, under medium shear conditions. Typically, suchcomplexing is achieved by introduction of a base, such as a volatiletertiary amine (represented as NEt₃ in the reaction shown below).

Stahl USA, Inc. of Peabody, Mass.; Bayer MaterialScience, LLC ofPittsburgh, Pa.; and Hauthaway Corporation of Lynn, Mass. eachmanufacture one or more commercially available gas-retaining urethanes,which are suitable for use in the present coating formulations.Additionally, Stahl USA, Inc. Bayer, LLC and Hauthaway Corporation alsomanufacture commercially available aging stability urethanesincorporated therein.

Additives

Once dispersed, the hydrophilic urethane prepolymers (shown above as thereaction product) are extended with a multifunctional amine compound,which quickly reacts with the terminal isocyanate groups to createpolyurea linkages and to promote chain growth. In this manner, themolecular weight of the polyurethane resin is further increased.Multifunctional amine compounds include any organic molecule having atleast two primary amine groups, such as ethylenediamine,hexamethylenediamine, hydrazine, and the like. Again, there issignificant versatility in the types of amine compounds that may be usedfor this purpose, as the molecular weight of these compounds ranges fromabout 32 (for hydrazine) to over 3,000 (for polyetheramines). The amountof amine compound to be introduced is calculated based on the amount ofisocyanate present in the hydrophobic urethane compound at the time ofdispersion. Most often, the amine compounds are present in an amount offrom about 75% to about 95%, by molar ratio, of the isocyanatecompounds.

The coating compositions described herein are particularly suitable forcoating airbag fabrics and airbags. The coating composition may includeone or more of the following optional additives: flame retardants,thickeners, rheology modifiers, anti-blocking agents, colorants orpigments, heat or UV stabilizers, antioxidants, cross-linking agents,adhesion promoters, fillers, synergists for flammability, plasticizers,defoamers and the like. Preferably, rheology modifiers and thickenersare added to adjust the viscosity of the coating formulation to betweenabout 30,000 and about 45,000 centipoise and, more preferably, tobetween about 35,000 and about 40,000 centipoise.

Synergists

Synergists are compounds that enhance some characteristic of thecomponents of the airbag coating formulations. The desired amount ofsynergist(s) may be incorporated into the urethane during thechain-extension stage, as the urethane is being dispersed, or may bepost-added into the urethane dispersion once the urethane ismanufactured.

Some synergists are of the flame retardant variety. Many of these flameretardant synergists do not exhibit significant flame retardantproperties when used alone. However, these synergists increase theoverall effectiveness of the flame retardant coating composition, evenwhen present in amounts as small as from about 5% to about 10% by weightof the coating composition.

In flame retardant coating formulations, the use of metal oxides assynergists in organohalogen systems is quite common. Of these, threeoxides have been found to be especially useful. These are antimonytrioxide, antimony pentoxide, and sodium antimonite.Decabromodiphenylethane may also be used as a flame retardant.

Application to Airbag Fabrics

Each of the two polyurethane compounds may be synthesized according tothe reactions shown above; converted into its hydrophilic prepolymer;dispersed in water with surfactants, defoamers, and other agents, asnecessary or desired; and extended to the desired molecular weight. Thetwo separate dispersions (that is, the gas-retaining polyurethanedispersion and the aging stability polyurethane dispersion) are thenblended via shear mixing, to create a blended coating composition.Exemplary ratios of gas-retaining to aging stability polyurethane andamounts of optional additives are described in later examples.

The coating composition, incorporating the two urethane components andadditives, is then applied to an airbag fabric by any known coatingmethods including floating knife coating, knife-over-roll coating, spraycoating, impregnation coating, curtain coating, reverse roll coating,transfer roll coating, and screen coating. The coating is then dried ata temperature in the range of 260° F. to 320° F. and, more preferably,at a temperature of about 300° F. for about two minutes. The add-onweight of the coating composition, when dry, is preferably between 0.5oz/yd² and 1.5 oz/yd²; more preferably, is less than 1.0 oz/yd² (or 34g/m²); and, in some embodiments, may be less than 0.6 oz/yd² (or 20g/m²).

Because the coating composition is applied as a single, monolithiclayer, manufacturing is significantly simplified. Rather than applying afirst coating layer, drying it, applying a second layer, and drying it,the present compositions require a single application pass and a singledrying pass. Also, the technical challenge in developing and maintaininginterlayer adhesion between the functional groups of each layers is notnecessary with this invention.

However, the use of the present coating compositions in a monolithiclayer does not preclude the separate application of an anti-blockingagent (such as spray talc), if desired, as such applications are notconsidered a separate, or second, coating layer.

Example 1

An airbag coating composition to be used as a monolithic layer wasprepared using commercially available urethanes in a dry blend ratio of80:20 gas-retaining urethane to aging stability urethane. The componentsof the coating composition are provided below.

Parts Component % Solids (Dry) Gas-retaining urethane 40 63:00 AgingStability urethane 40 37.00 Flame retardant 60 15.00 Rheology modifier25 1.8 Pigment 60   0.0180

The finished coating composition had a viscosity of approximately 40,000centipoise and was readily spreadable via floating knife coater. Thecoating composition was applied, using a floating knife coater, in asingle layer to both outer sides of a one-piece Jacquard woven sidecurtain-type airbag. The airbag had a 50×50 construction and used 420denier nylon 6,6 yarns in both the warp and fill directions. Nylon 6,polyester or combination of polyamide and polyester yarns can also beused as a fabric substrate.

The coated bag was then dried in an oven at a temperature of about 300°F. for about 2 minutes. The dry add-on weight of the coating composition(on each side of the airbag) was about 0.5 oz/yd² or 17 g/m².

Example 2 Comparative

A comparative Example was created in which two different coating layerswere applied sequentially to an airbag fabric. The components of thevarious coating layers are shown below.

Layer 1: Fabric-Contacting Layer Parts Component % Solids (Dry)Gas-retaining urethane 40 80.00 Acrylic polymer 60 20.00 Rheologymodifier 25 1.8 Pigment 60 0.0180The fabric-contacting coating composition was applied, using a floatingknife coater, in a single layer to both outer sides of a one-pieceJacquard woven side curtain-type airbag. The airbag had a 50×50construction and used 420 denier nylon 6,6 yarns in both the warp andfill directions.

The coated fabric was then dried in an oven at a temperature of about300° F. for about 2 minutes. The dry add-on weight of the first layer(on each side of the airbag) was about 0.5 oz/yd² or 17 g/m².

Layer 2: Top-Coat Layer Component % Solids Parts (Dry) SiliconeComponent “Part A” 100 50.00 Silicone Component “Part B” 100 50.00

The top-coat layer composition was applied, using a floating knifecoater, over the fabric-contacting layer. The coated fabric was thendried a second time in an oven at a temperature of about 360° F. forabout 1.5 minutes. The dry add-on weight of the second layer (on eachside of the airbag) was about 1.0 oz/yd² or 34 g/m². The coated airbagfabric was then lightly sprayed with talc to prevent blocking.

Evaluation of Examples

Examples 1 and 2 were evaluated for a variety of properties, the resultsof such analyses being shown below. Where appropriate, standard testmethods are listed in parentheses following the test descriptions.

Description (Test Method) Units Example 1 Example 2 Weave Count—Warp Per25.4 51.1 52.3 (ISO7211/2 Method C) mm Weave Count—Fill Per 25.4 50.050.3 (ISO7211/2 Method C) mm Total Weight A (ASTM D-3776C) oz/yd² 6.677.6 Coating Add-on “A” Side g/m² 15.9 51.2 Total Weight B (ASTM D-3776C)oz/yd² 6.67 7.6 Coating Add-on “B” Side g/m² 16.0 49.6 Tensile—Warp(ASTM D-5034) N 2521 2540 Tensile—Fill (ASTM D-5034) N 2762 2654Elongation—Warp (ASTM D-5034) % 41.56 45.8 Elongation—Fill (ASTM D-5034)N 42.0 48.2 Joint Tensile—Warp (ASTM N 1523 1474 D-1683) JointTensile—Fill (ASTM D-1683) N 1459 1466 Tongue Tear Strength—Warp N 141180 (ASTM D-2261) Tongue Tear Strength—Fill N 158 206 (ASTM D-2251)Flammability—Warp (FMVSS 302) Pass/Fail Pass Pass Flammability—Fill(FMVSS 302) Pass/Fail Pass Pass Stiffness/Circular Bend—Warp N 12.0 11.6(ASTM D-4032) Stiffness/Circular Bend—Fill N 12.0 11.0 (ASTM D-4032)These results indicate that the monolithic coating composition of thepresent disclosure performs equally well as the standard, two-layercoating composition, in terms of flammability and tensile strength.

As described previously, gas retention is important in protecting avehicle's occupants from injury, especially in the event of a vehiclerollover. Gas retention is measured by inflating an airbag (in thiscase, a side-curtain, one-piece woven airbag) to a peak pressure of 70kPa and then recording the pressure retention as a function of time. Thetime for deflation was measured and has been plotted in FIG. 1. FIG. 1shows the gas retention rates for two airbags of the same startingconstruction (materials, size, shape, and volume), which were coatedwith the formulation of Example 1 and 2. The combination of the twourethanes in Example 1 displayed virtually no loss in gas retention. Thesingle layer coating performed as well as a two layer coating despite atbeing at a substantially lower coat weight.

Next in the evaluation phase was to measure the performance of the gasretention properties after subjecting the airbags to various agingconditions. The results are set forth in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 70 kPa Start Burst kPa kPa Pressure @ 6 sec. @ 12 sec. kPa AR 153.6 42.4 199 AR 2 57.9 49.6 190 AR 3 54.9 48.6 193 AR 4 56.8 49.7 194Average 55.8 47.6 194.0 105C HA 1 614 554 192 105C HA 2 605 542 193 105CHA 3 613 565 182 105C HA 4 634 597 193 Average 61.7 56.5 190.0  70C RH 1571 485 193  70C RH 2 554 456 196  70C RH 3 529 421 195  70C RH 4 54 44198 Average 54.9 45.1 195.5 CYC 1 545 487 198 CYC 2 583 499 199 CYC 3565 472 202 CYC 4 575 485 196 Average 56.7 48.6 198.8

A first set of four airbags were tested immediately after production,namely in “As Received” state (as indicated in Table. 1 by the label“AR”). A second set of airbags was subjected to environmental testing byheat-aging the coated airbags at 105° C. for 400 hrs (as indicated inTable. 1 by the label “105C HA”). A third set of airbags was subjectedto environmental testing by subjecting the coated airbags to atemperature of 70° C. and 95% relative humidity for 400 hrs (asindicated in Table. 1 by the label “70C RH”). A fourth set airbags wassubjected to environmental testing by subjecting the coated airbags to acycle aging for 400 hrs (as indicated in Table. 1 by the label “CYC”).

As shown in Table 1, the elimination of the second (top) coating layerfrom the airbag coating system had no effect on the airbags coated withthe present coating system. Even after vigorous environmental testing,the gas-retaining properties of the present coating system are notsignificantly reduced. The gas-retaining properties remain substantiallythe same (and in an acceptable range) as the “As Received” sample.Another crucial property that was monitored with this inventive coatingwas the structural integrity of the airbag itself after being subjectedto the above aging conditions. The last column in Table 1. representsthe burst pressure of the cushions in as received state and after aging,again the elimination of the second (top) coating layer from the airbagcoating system had no effect on the airbags coated with the presentcoating system. This is an important property that is indicative of anyloss in the structural strength of the airbag.

Another test used to evaluate Examples 1 and 2 is called a “blockingtest,” which indicates the force required to separate two portions ofcoated fabric from one another after prolonged storage in contact witheach other (such as an airbag is stored) This test was conducted inaccordance with Test Method SAE J912, entitled “Test Method forDetermining Blocking Resistance and Associated Characteristics ofAutomotive Trim Materials.” The test method is designed to indicate thedegree of surface tackiness, color transfer, loss of embossment, andsurface marring when two materials are placed face-to-face underspecific conditions of time, temperature, and pressure.

Laboratory analysis for blocking entails cutting two 50 mm×75 mmswatches of airbag fabric, pressing a 50 mm×50 mm area under a 5 lb. (22N) load at 100° C. for 48 hours, and allowing a 25 mm×50 mm end flap toremain without exposure to temperature or pressure. At the end of thetesting period, the 22 N-load is removed and a 50-gram mass is attachedto the end flap on the lower fabric swatch. The time required for thetwo coated swatches to peel apart completely is recorded. If the timerequired to separate the fabrics utilizing a 50-gram weight suspendedfrom the bottom fabric layer is greater than 30 seconds, the coatingsystem fails the blocking test.

Clearly, the lower the required separating shear force, the morefavorable the coating. In traditional airbag coating systems (such asthat of Example 2), to improve blocking resistance and thus reduce thechance of improper adhesion between the packed fabric portions,anti-blocking agents (such as talc, silica, silicate clays, and starchpowders) may be applied to the coated fabric. Application ofanti-blocking agents does not fall outside this invention as suchapplication are not considered as a second coating layer.

Sample Identification Separation Time Example 1 InstantSeparation/Immediate Example 2 (Comparative) InstantSeparation/ImmediateThus, the single-layer, urethane-based coating system of Example 1performed as well as the two-layer system of Example 2.

As demonstrated above and as described herein, the present single-layercoating systems described herein provide excellent gas retention,anti-blocking characteristics, flame retardance, and aging stability,making them advancements over previously developed coating systems thatrequire two coating layers to achieve these properties.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the sameextent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicatedto be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entiretyherein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of valuesherein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referringindividually to each separate value falling within the range, unlessotherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated intothe specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methodsdescribed herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwiseindicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The useof any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”)provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the inventionand does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unlessotherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construedas indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice ofthe invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, includingthe best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention.Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Theinventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations asappropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practicedotherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, thisinvention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

1. A method of making a coated airbag, said method comprising the stepsof: (a) providing an airbag; (b) providing a coating composition, saidcoating composition comprising (i) a gas-retaining urethanecharacterized by a tensile strength at break of at least 2,500 psi, anda 100% modulus less than 1,200 psi, and (ii) a aging stability urethanecontaining polycarbonate backbone; (c) applying said coating compositionto at least a portion of said airbag in a single layer; and (d) dryingsaid coating composition.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said airbagis a one-piece Jacquard woven airbag.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid airbag is a sewn airbag.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein theapplication of said coating composition in step (c) is accomplished by atechnique selected from the group consisting of floating knife coating,knife-over-roll coating, spray coating, impregnation coating, curtaincoating, reverse roll coating, transfer roll coating, and screencoating.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) occurs attemperatures between 260° F. and 320° F.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the dry add-on weight of said monolithic coating layer is fromabout 0.5 oz/yd² to about 1.5 oz/yd².